Coil conveyor

ABSTRACT

The disclosure of this invention pertains to a saddle type conveyor used to transport rolled steel coils about a curved path of travel. The conveyor includes a number of individual saddle type coil carrying buggies having fixed supports for supporting coils with their axes in an horizontal plane. The buggies are driven by an universal type drive chain having a number of projecting pins that engage in a driving relationship blocks formed on the buggies. The construction is such that the pins are permitted to move relative to the blocks when the buggies are articulated around the curved path of travel yet maintained in their driving relationships.

United States Patent Ward Apr. 23, 1974 COIL CONVEY R Primary Examiner-Richard E. Aegerter [75] Inventor: Frederick William Alan ward Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Henry C. Westm; Dame] Poland, 01110 Patch [73] Assignee: Wean United, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa. [57] ABSTRACT [22] Filed: July 28, 1972 The disclosure of this invention pertains to a saddle type conveyor used to transport rolled steel coils [21] Appl' 275987 about a curved path of travel. The conveyor includes a number of individual saddle type coil carrying bug- [52] US. Cl. 198/189 gies having fixed supports for supporting coils with [51] Int. Cl. B65g 19/00 their axes in an horizontal plane. The buggies are [58] Field of Search 198/189, 131; 104/172 driven by an universal type drive chain having a number of projecting pins that engage in a driving relation- [56] References Cited ship blocks formed on the buggies. The construction is UNITED STATES PATENTS such that the pins are permitted to move relative to 382 043 5/1888 Klinik 198/189 the blocks when buggies are articulated around the curved path of travel yet maintained in their driving relationships.

g Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 23 I974 sum 3 [1F 3 FIG. 3

FIG. 4

1 con. CONVEYOR In the past rolled steel coils with their axes horizontally disposed have been transported through different directions, for example, through a 90 turn, by means of a turnstile type of device. The individual coils required in addition to the large and cumbersome rotating device apparatus for transferring the coils to and from the device. Such an arrangement was found objectionable not only because of the lost time and manpower required, but in view of the substantial capital expense.

It is the object therefore of the present invention to provide a conveyor that will overcome the aforesaid disadvantages of the prior art in providing a conveyor for horizontally supporting coils of metal or web material that will be able to travel through a curved path of travel.

More particularly, the present invention provides a coil conveyor having a curved path of travel and including an universal drive chain, a series of individual coil carrying buggies, connecting means carried by said chain for connecting said buggies to the chain in a manner to permit relative movement between the two elements as the buggies are advanced by the chain.

These objects as well as other novel features and advantages ofthe present invention will be better understood when the following description of the preferred form thereof is read along with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a portion of a conveyor incorporating the features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on lines 2 2 of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view of a portion of the drive chain shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of FIG. 3.

FIG. 1 illustrates a portion of the conveyor for transporting coils of rolled flat steel as produced, for example, in a steel strip; the conveyor as noted previously being in the form of a continuous loop, the upper portion of which assumes a coil supporting and transporting position; whereas, the lower portion assumes an empty or return position. In addition, the path of travel of the endless conveyor is caused to turn around a curve or bend, which may be as drastic as 90 or more. In FIG. 1 the arrow indicates the upper and coil supporting portion of the conveyor while the arrow 11 indicates the lower and return portions thereof.

While the drawings do not illustrate the extent or bend of the curve in the path of travel of the conveyor, other than what is depicted in FIG. 3, it will be appreciated that to the right, as one views FIG. 1, the conveyor turns into or away from the viewer, in which respect it is the purpose of the invention to provide a construc tion that will accommodate this articulation in a very smooth operating manner without disturbing the positive driving of the coil carrying saddles of the conveyor.

As shown in FIG. 1, the conveyor includes a number of high saddle buggies 13 comprising two pairs of wheels 14 engageable with a pair of continuous tracks 15, these elements being best shown in FIG- 2. The buggies are made up of two outwardly projecting members 16 that form saddles for coils supported with their axes in a horizontal plane, the indented ends of the members'16 being formed to accommodate the curved surfaces of the coils. FIG. 1 also shows with respect to the lefthand situated buggy 13 that the wheels 14 of the buggies during the return or empty position of the conveyor are supported by tracks 15a which extend throughout this portion of the conveyor.

FIG. 2 shows a portion of a horizontally arranged coil 18 carried by one of the buggies 13.

The buggies are advanced and maintained at a preferred space relationship by their common association with a universal drive chain 20 which is caused to fol low the same path of travel as the buggies 13 by virtue of two pairs of wheels 21 supported by parallel tracks 22. The wheels 21 form part of an interconnecting link system, as best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the axes of the wheels of the links 23 adjacent to the buggy 13 being provided with universal joints 25 and 26 which permit the interconnecting links 23 and 28 and 29 to be displaced angularly from the center of the joints 25 and 26 as one views FIG. 3.

The center portion of the link 23 is provided with a projecting pin 31, the outer end of which is secured to a drive block 32 made a part of the associated buggy 13 by a pivotal bearing sleeve 33 mounted on the opposite ends of a supporting shaft. By this construction the blocks are free to move relative to the pins when the occasion requires it as the buggy and pins are advanced around the curved portions of the chain 20. As best seen in FIG. 1, the drive chain 20 is driven by a sprocket 34 which engages the innermost wheels 21 of the links 23, 28 and 29; the movement of the chain 20 being transferred to the buggies by the pins and block assemblies 31 and 32, the universal joints 25 and 26 permitting relative movement between the pins and blocks, particularly in a vertical plane, yet assuring a continuance of their driving relationships.

In order to assure that the pins 31 will be maintained on the center line of the path of travel as portrayed in FIG. 3, the links 23 as well as intermediate links 35 on their inward sides are provided with guide rollers 36, which as noted in FIG. 2, engage cooperatively arranged track 37.

From the above it will be readily appreciated that on operation of the conveyor, the universal joints 25 and 26, and the free but positive driving relationship provided by the pins 31 and the drive blocks 32 will permit the buggies 13 to pass around the curve or bend in the path of travel of the conveyor, a portion of which curve is shown in FIG. 3.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle and operation of my invention and have illustrated and described what I consider to represent the best embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. 'A conveyor for transporting coils of striplike material about a predetermined path of travel, a portion of which path of travel is curved,

a drive chain made up of a number of separate links connected together in chainlike fashion by universal connecting elements,

a number of individual coil carrying buggies, each having two pairs of spaced supporting wheels,

means for supporting said wheels about said path of travel,

at least some of said links having upwardly projecting pins,

said buggies each including suspended means,

a block for each buggy having an aperture therein for slidably receiving an associated link pin,

said blocks arranged between the associated pairs of wheels of its buggy, and

means projecting laterally outwardly from each said block, the free end of said projecting means journaled in the free end of an associated suspended means to permit pivotal movement of a block relative to its buggy.

2. A conveyor according to claim 1, wherein said drive chain is arranged to have a loaded carrying portion and an unloaded return portion and includes means for supporting the chain so that said return portion travels below said carrying portion, and

said means for supporting said buggies including means for supporting said buggies during the period of time the buggies are being advanced by said chain during its return portion.

3. A conveyor according to claim 2, wherein said buggy supporting means includes curved tracks for supporting the buggies at the termini of the unloaded return portion of said drive chain.

4. A conveyor according to claim 1, wherein for each of said pins there is provided a guide means connected to the associated links of a pin for maintaining said pin in a predetermined location relative to said path of travel, and

track means arranged to engage said guide means. 

1. A conveyor for transporting coils of striplike material about a predetermined path of travel, a portion of which path of travel is curved, a drive chain made up of a number of separate links connected together in chainlike fashion by universal connecting elements, a number of individual coil carrying buggies, each having two pairs of spaced supporting wheels, means for supporting said wheels about said path of travel, at least some of said links having upwardly projecting pins, said buggies each including suspended means, a block for each buggy having an aperture therein for slidably receiving an associated link pin, said blocks arranged between the associated pairs of wheels of its buggy, and means projecting laterally outwardly from each said block, the free end of said projecting means journaled in the free end of an associated suspended means to permit pivotal movement of a block relative to its buggy.
 2. A conveyor according to claim 1, wherein said drive chain is arranged to have a loaded carrying portion and an unloaded return portion and includes means for supporting the chain so that said return portion travels below said carrying portion, and said means for supporting said buggies including means for supporting said buggies during the period of time the buggies are being advanced by said chain during its return portion.
 3. A conveyor according to claim 2, wherein said buggy supporting means includes curved tracks for supporting the buggies at the termini of the unloaded return portion of said drive chain.
 4. A conveyor according to claim 1, wherein for each of said pins there is provided a guide means connected to the associated links of a pin for maintaining said pin in a predetermined location relative to said path of travel, and track means arranged to engage said guide means. 